Adult Winter Reading Program: Most Popular Titles

Descent by Tim Johnston(2 Winter Readers liked this book)

"I would call this a literary thriller. It was well written but didn't have the fast pace of a typical thriller because of the more eloquent writing. A boy is out on his bike riding with his sister who is running in the mountains when he is hit by a car, left for dead, and his sister is kidnapped by the driver. It follows the fallout for the family as they deal with the disappearance of the daughter/sister. I enjoyed the book, but also felt there was a little too much happenstance towards the end of the book."
-- Duckyb, 03/12/2015

"Suspenseful story about an 18-year-old girl abducted and held captive for three years. The author's writing style, coupled with some unnecessary secondary characters and subplots, made this slow going until the last 100 pages."
-- Cindy, 03/12/2015

Essentialism by Greg McKeown(2 Winter Readers liked this book)

"This was a great book. Although it is primarily for business people, the author also shared how finding out what is essential and doing it in our lives helps one to be more productive and less stressed."
-- debmomx5, 03/01/2015

"This was a short read in which the author describes a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not. The whole book is about "doing less, but better" in every area of our lives. Though the most direct applications are in time management and productivity techniques, the principles in this book can be applied to virtually any area of life. Great read!"
-- mjcarmichael, 02/10/2015

Funny Girl by Nick Hornby(2 Winter Readers liked this book)

"I enjoyed the setting (1950's/60's London) and pop culture references in this book. The characters are interesting and the book is a fun read."
-- mjcarmichael, 03/10/2015

"I read some bad reviews, but I really liked the characters. I think it captured what I understand was London in 1964 well. Remember Carnaby Street, the Yardbirds, Dave Clark 5? If you don't, it may not have the same nostagia for you."
-- timsanders, 03/17/2015

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn(2 Winter Readers liked this book)

"This book is on the best seller list but I wonder about the author's mindset. I think author needs psychiatric counseling."
-- Kathie, 03/02/2015

"This was a book hard to put down. It will keep you turning pages until the twisted ending! Incredibly entertaining."
-- lmimmel, 03/03/2015

Guardians of the Night by Alan Russell(2 Winter Readers liked this book)

"This is the first book I've read by Alan Russell and I'm happy to say it won't be my last. The story was engaging and kept me on my guessing. I'm also a huge dog person, so I could relate to his feelings towards his dog. "
-- Redwings4life, 02/06/2015

"begins with a homeless man witnessing what he believes is an angel being murdered. I enjoyed this book."
-- Judy, 02/13/2015

Identical by Scott Turow(2 Winter Readers liked this book)

"Mystery surrounds identical twins Cass & Paul when Cass is released from prison after serving 25 years for the murder of his girlfriend. Plenty of twists and turns in this story. "
-- Kathy5, 02/18/2015

"Quite a page turner. I almost always enjoy the books recommended by the awesome librarians!"
-- cubansuzan, 02/18/2015

Lila by Marilynne Robinson(2 Winter Readers liked this book)

"The latest installment in the Gilead Series. Fills in many of the mysteries of Lila and how she ended up in Gilead and what her past reveals about her current thoughts and feelings. Informative for those who have read the other books in this series. Wish Marilynne would use chapter breaks. Had to find a good place to stop reading with the format she uses, but she is an engaging writer."
-- Bettyintheburbs, 02/19/2015

"LILA took me to insightful places in the human soul I had never been aware of and had never explored."
-- lbucher, 02/15/2015

Losing It by Valerie Bertinelli(2 Winter Readers liked this book)

"I love this book! Valerie Bertinelli shares a very inspiring story about her life and struggles with her self-image...I usually don't read books twice, but definitely think I will read this one again!"
-- mcpaters, 02/09/2015

"Inspired story of a pictured migrant mother and her children trying to survive the Great Depression and the photographer who took the picture"
-- svm1@manberger.net, 03/16/2015

"Beautifully written book that imagines the fictionalized lives of photographer Dorothea Lange and the subject of her iconic Depression-era photograph, the "Migrant Mother." The author describes the hardships of the farm workers in 1930s California in succinct and poignant prose while also examining the nature of truth in photography. Great book."
-- Jhusain, 03/23/2015

Motive by Jonathan Kellerman(2 Winter Readers liked this book)

"The latest with Dr. Delaware and Lt. Sturgis. Good read."
-- Judy, 02/17/2015

"Another excellent episode in the Alex Delaware series. I don't know how Kellerman does it but I hope he keeps on doing it. "
-- sbspong, 03/29/2015

"This was a fun read. Kept you guessing and has a great underlying thought about preserving human mortality. Enjoyed it. "
-- sljrncohn89, 02/02/2015

"If I were to write a book, it would be just like this one. The main character had my sense of humor. I had hoped for a little more at the end, but overall the story was really entertaining and original. I gave it 4 stars out of 5. "
-- melissamhall, 02/11/2015

Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver(2 Winter Readers liked this book)

"Interesting story. I wasn't crazy about many of the characters, who were painted as very unpleasant or boring people. "
-- Love a Mystery, 02/27/2015

"This debut novel is a cozy mystery set between the wars in Brighton, England. The perky amateur detective is named Amory Ames. Her marriage with handsome rake Milo Ames has lost its fire, but her old flame Gil appears and asks for her help. There are snobs, romance and a level-headed inspector. The author is a librarian from Louisiana."
-- DeannaRA, 02/06/2015

"I love re-reading the classics, especially when they bring up topics that you could discuss for hours!"
-- bookaddict, 02/07/2015

One Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling(2 Winter Readers liked this book)

"A novel of organ donation told by two mothers--one the mother of the donor and the other the mother of the recipient."
-- Nancy, 02/16/2015

"This is a story of two mothers, strangers to one another. The first has two children--twins, a boy and girl, who are seniors in high school. She wants their last Christmas as a family living in the same home to be perfect, but her husband is delayed returning from a business trip abroad. And then there's an accident--a fatal one involving the son. Meanwhile, the other mother has a daughter who needs a new heart. She is also preparing for what may be her daughter's last Christmas. The loss of one woman becomes the miracle the other desperately prayed for. While one mother grieves, and pulls away from her family, the other finds that even miracles aren't always easy to receive. This book really makes you think about faith, miracles, and organ donation."
-- Deedah66, 01/31/2015

"I would totally recommend this. I hadn't read any of her books until after I started watching the Outlander series on Starz earlier this year (though I did own a copy of Dragonfly in Amber, the 2nd book, bought at a used book sale). The writing is amazing; it's one of the few books I can remember thinking about visually -- that is to say, the words were so evocative of scenes unfolding before my eyes that that's how I experienced the book. (And I think the tv produciton has been very faithful in its adaptation, creatively adapting material to forward the telling of the story as a (tv) movie. "
-- EmilyS, 03/16/2015